Beijing completed 101 traffic alleviation projects in 2018

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On Nov. 28, the Road Administration Bureau of the Beijing Municipal Traffic Commission announced that 101 traffic alleviation projects have been completed throughout the city in 2018. Several routinely congested street sections and intersections are included in the 2019 reconstruction plan, including the partial renovation of the Huanggang intersection of South Airport Line, the junction under Dajiaoting Bridge and the side road on the southern side of Jianguo Road. A new exit will also be added at Xiaoyueyuan Residential Community to connect with West Fifth Ring Road.

101 completed projects throughout Beijing

In 2018, Beijing gave priorities to traffic alleviation projects across the city. In urban areas in northern Beijing, the city alleviated a routinely congested street section from Gujiazhuang Bridge to Laiguangying Bridge on North Fifth Ring Road. As the distance between the two bridges is relatively close, the traffic flow in and out of the eastbound side of Fifth Ring Road used to form an interweave that occupies two lanes and therefore leads to traffic jams. To address this, the road was widened on the right side, adding a new lane so that the traffic flow on left lanes can pass more smoothly. The section has seen noticeable improvement in traffic, with traffic volume increasing by 50 percent.

In western Beijing, a new ramp was built for Wanquanhe Bridge. With the new ramp, traffic on Forth Ring Road now directly exit onto Wanquanhe Road in the northwest, and vehicles going from West Forth Ring Road to North Fifth Ring Road no longer need to take the side road. Driving between the two roads now takes 3 to 5 minutes, compared to more than 20 minutes previously. Meanwhile, another project aiming to alleviate traffic jam near the entrance of Yanbei Garden of Peking University is now almost finished.

In the Central Business District in eastern Beijing, a renovation project was implemented from Guomao Bridge to the north gate of the Beijing Television building. New pedestrian walks and non-motorized vehicle lanes were built, and the number of motorized vehicle lanes on the side road increased from one to two, addressing the problem of intertwined traffic flow and passenger flow.

Beijing's road administration department has also installed anti-overflow controllers in some intersections, which can sense the traffic flow and automatically control traffic signals to prevent a jam.

New exit added at Xiaoyueyuan

More roads are included in next year's renovation plan. A new project is mulling extending work on the southern side road of Jianguo Road eastward. Dajiaoting Bridge on Guangqu Road will also be renovated in 2019.

Interconnection between South Airport Line and Jingcheng Expressway will also be improved. In 2019, the highway administration department plans to carry out partial renovation projects in the Huanggang intersection and set up a toll station there, so that vehicles no longer need to take a detour on the side road.

Continuous congestion alleviation at Dashanzi intersection

In early November, the much watched Dashanzi intersection opened after renovation, but some residents have complained that the effect of alleviation was not satisfactory. In response, a person in charge at the Project Management Center of the Road Administration Bureau of the Beijing Municipal Traffic Commission attributed the continued congestion to drivers being unfamiliar with the new road, and also to traffic violations by electric motorbikes during evening rush hours and buses at bus stops.

Traffic data suggests that within the first month after the renovation of the Dashanzi intersection, the volume of traffic during morning rush hour increased from 3,300 to 4,500 vehicles per hour, and the congestion on the surrounding roads such as Wangjing Street and Airport Auxiliary Road has been alleviated. However, congestion on the nearby North Jiuxianqiao Road increased. To solve this problem, road authorities decided to optimize efficiency by controlling traffic lights and upgrade North Jiuxianqiao Road from a one-way lane to a two-way lane. More traffic coordinators will also be sent to solve on-site problems such as non-motor vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road.


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